An Exceptional Cause of Acute Limb Ischemia: Nicolau Syndrome-Single-Center Experience with 4 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Causes of acute limb ischemia are classically mainly emboli and thrombosis. Nicolau syndrome is a very rare complication of intramuscular injection presumed to be related to the inadvertent intravascular injection. It was first reported after intramuscular injection of bismuth salt, but it can occur as a complication of various other drugs. Acute limb ischemia is one of its severe outcomes but is rarely encountered and reported. METHODS: Patients admitted with the final diagnosis of Nicolau syndrome in our institution in 3 years (2016 2017 and 2018) are reviewed in terms of etiology, clinical presentation, management, and outcome. RESULTS: We present here 4 cases of Nicolau syndrome that lead to acute limb ischemia and with the same outcome: limb or fingers loss; there were 2 upper extremities for 2 women secondary to diclofenac and dexamethasone intramuscular administration and 2 lower extremities for 2 men in relation with Benzathine Penicillin intramuscular administration. The medical and surgical management that we attempted did not prevent this severe outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Nicolau syndrome should be considered when looking for rare etiologies of acute limb ischemias.

Complications of arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis: an 8-year study.

BACKGROUND: To assess the frequency and characteristics of complications of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and their effect on fistula outcome. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 628 AVFs constructed from November 2002 to October 2010 to record the complications and their management options. The association between age, sex, comorbidities (HIV, hypertension, and diabetes), fistula type, and complications was sought. RESULTS: Most patients were males (73.7%). The mean age was 45.3 years. Comorbidities seen included diabetes mellitus (22.12%), hypertension (83.12%), and HIV infection (9.87%). AVFs constructed were mainly radiocephalic (68%) and brachiocephalic (24.9%). The median follow-up period was 275 days. The cumulative patency rate was 76% and 51% at 1 year and 2 years, respectively. Altogether, 211 complications occurred in 16% of the AVFs. Among them, 36.96% were severe, 25.11% moderate, and 43.91% minor. With respect to the time of occurrence, 63.98% were late complications, 12.79% immediate, and 23.22% early. Aneurysms, failure to mature, and thrombosis were the most frequent complications occurring in 26.54%, 14.69%, and 12.79% of cases, respectively. The management options for the complications included the creation of a new access in 36.96%, a temporary catheter before a new AVF in 10.52%, and nonoperative management in 43.12%. We found no adverse effect of comorbid factors such as diabetes mellitus (χ(2) = 3.58, P > 0.05) or HIV-positive status (χ(2) = 0.64, P > 0.05) on the complication rate. CONCLUSION: This study shows an overall frequency of complications of 16%. These results show the potential for low complication rate of AVF in selected population.

Patients characteristics and outcome of 518 arteriovenous fistulas for hemodialysis in a sub-Saharan African setting.

BACKGROUND: To present the particular aspects of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) for hemodialysis in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of patients' characteristics, patency and complication rates, as well as factors influencing them. METHODS: From November 2002 to November 2009, 518 fistulas were constructed on adults. Demographic data, patency, and complications were analyzed. The association between age, sex, and comorbidities (HIV, hypertension, diabetes) on one hand and complications as well as AVF patency on the other was sought. RESULTS: Males represented 73.7% of the patient population, and the mean age of the population was 45.3 years. As far as etiologies of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and comorbidities are concerned, chronic glomerulonephritis was the leading cause of ESRD (134; 25.9%), followed by hypertension (22.3%), although prevalent in 83.2% of patients, and diabetes (20.1%), although prevalent in 22.2%. No cause for the ESRD could be identified in 89 patients (17.2%). Only 20.64% had AVF as the initial vascular access. The main types of AVF constructed were radiocephalic (68%) and brachiocephalic (24.9%). The median follow-up period was 275 days. The cumulative patency rate at 1 year and 2 years was 76% and 51%, respectively. Altogether, 188 complications occurred in 16% of the AVFs. Aneurysms, failure to mature, and thrombosis were the most frequent complications occurring in 27.65%, 14.89%, and 10.63% of cases, respectively. The management options for the complications included the creation of a new access for 63 complications (33.51%) and nonoperative management in 44.14% of the cases. We found no adverse effect of comorbid factors like diabetes mellitus (χ(2) = 3.58, P > 0.05) and HIV-positive status (χ(2) = 0.64, P > 0.05) on the complications rate. CONCLUSION: According to our patients' characteristics, there is a possibility of constructing AVF on nearly every hemodialysis patient with a good outcome.

Surgical repair of a giant isolated inflammatory aneurysm of the left common iliac artery.

Isolated aneurysms of the iliac artery (IA) are very rare. Inflammatory aneurysms are also rare conditions, making the association rarer. Only four cases of isolated inflammatory IA aneurysms have been reported in the last decade. In this article, we report a case of a 62-year-old patient with a 13-cm large isolated inflammatory aneurysm of the left common IA associated with a 2.5-cm right common IA involvement. The patient presented with a left lower quadrant pain, a pulsatile mass with bruit, as well as a left hydronephrosis secondary to the ipsilateral ureter entrapment, and a motor and sensory deficit of the left lower extremity. An aortoiliofemoral prosthetic repair associated to a left to right ureteral transposition was undertaken with an approach including a laparotomy and bilateral femoral artery exposure. The postoperative period was uneventful. The case mentioned in this study is probably the largest IA aneurysm ever described.

Surgical repair of a giant pseudoaneurysm of the right common carotid artery following a gunshot.

Common carotid pseudoaneurysms are very rare. The authors report a case of a 18-year-old patient with 11 cm large posttraumatic pseudoaneurysm of the right common carotid artery caused by a gunshot in the neck. The patient also had a right hemiplegia, secondary to the left sylvian artery stroke and aphasia. A surgical repair was undertaken with an approach including a total sternotomy. The aneurysm was excluded and a saphenous vein patch was used to repair the 2-cm defect on the arterial wall. The postoperative period was uneventful. This is probably the largest carotid artery aneurysm ever described. The potential hazards of an aneurysm of the common carotid artery indicate that surgical treatment is warranted particularly in a patient with a past history of controlateral stroke.

Characteristics of patients and patterns of chronic venous disease of the lower limbs in a referral hospital in Cameroon.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the magnitude of chronic venous disease (CVD) in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically the characteristics of the patients, the symptoms, the signs, and the severity. METHODS: From December 2013 to December 2016, a cross-sectional study was conducted of all consecutive patients with CVD aged ≥18 years and attending the outpatient clinic of the Yaoundé General Hospital in Cameroon. We recorded information on demographics, relevant medical history, symptoms, lifestyle, and clinical presentation. A duplex ultrasound examination investigated veins to seek obstruction and reflux (duration ≥0.5 second). The full Clinical, Etiology, Anatomy, and Pathophysiology (CEAP) classification was used to describe CVD, and severity was assessed by the Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS). Statistical significance was at P < .05. RESULTS: Altogether, 319 patients (503 affected legs) were enrolled; 54.3% of patients were men with a mean age of 44.5 years (18-85 years) and CVD duration of 3 months to 45 years (mean, 2.3 years). Patients had such risk factors as obesity (32.6%), family history of CVD (17.7%), multiparity, and lifestyle requiring long standing periods (64.8%). Only 15% of women older than 49 years were using birth control pills, and none older than 49 years were receiving hormone replacement therapy. Only 42.9% of patients had previously been treated for CVD, mainly with venoactive drugs (34.1%). Of the 503 legs, 366 (72.76%) were symptomatic in the following proportion: leg heaviness, 236 (64.48%); sensation of swelling, 236 (64.48%); pain, 194 (53%); sensation of "pins and needles," 87 (23.77%); night cramps, 89 (24.39%); and itching, 66 (18.03%). Men had more symptoms (P = .027). The mean total VCSS was 4.62 ± 4.15 (range, 1-21). The most frequent VCSSs were 0, 2, 3, and 4, and the components of the VCSS most frequently represented were pain, varicose veins, and edema.Patients were assigned to CEAP classes as follows. The C class included C0, 6.1%; C1, 35.4%; C2, 39.6%; C3, 42.7%; C4a, 11.9%; C4b, 4.9%; C5, 1.5%; and C6, 10.13%. The E class designated etiology as primary in 446 (88.66%), secondary in 49 (9.7%), and congenital in 8 (1.59%). The A class identified superficial veins in 365 (72.56%), deep veins in 218 (43.33%), and perforator veins in 22 (4.37%); no venous location was identified in 31 (6.16%). According to the P classification, of the 466 legs of level II and III CEAP, 289 (62%) had reflux, 43 (9.2%) had obstruction, 22 (4.6%) had both reflux and obstruction, and 113 (24.3%) had no venous disease identifiable, with no sex influence on the frequency of reflux (P = .27) but a higher proportion of obstruction in men (P = .00029). CONCLUSIONS: Patients have many risk factors and are young with a male predominance. Most patients are symptomatic with advanced disease. The etiology is primary in most patients, and reflux is more common.

[Epidemiologic profile and treatment of diabetic foot at the National Diabetic Center of Yaounde-Cameroon]. / Profils épidémiologiques et traitement du pied diabétique au centre national de diabetique de Yaounde-Cameroun.

We have undertaken an epidemiological and the treatment modality of diabetic foot in Yaounde Diabetic Center. 5315 patients have included in the study 1275, 23.98% have lesions of the diabetic foot. Neuropathy lesions are more frequent. Gangrenous lesion represent 4.39% with high level of total amputation. Patients are young, with short history of diabetes. Infection is present in 89% of cases. Health education is the only modality to be undertaken to prevent diabetic foot more frequent in our environment.